Marrakech to Merzouga desert in 3 days

overview and itinerary

inclusions

feedback about this tour

MARRAKECH TO MERZOUGA TOUR ITINERARY:

Overview:

3 day sahara desert tour from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga is one of the best itineraries in Morocco, and as you can see, all travel agents offer it as their number one tour, to cut to the chase, the itinerary is the same everywhere, it is the quality of the service, the qualification of the drivers, the choice of accommodations and the long partnership with all contributing parties in this tour (guides, restaurants, hotels...) that makes a difference. We have been running this tour among others for a long time that our clients are always treated well and welcomed. The tour covers a huge part of Morocco and offers a variety of landscapes, attractions and lifestyles. The last however is a long drive from Merzouga back to Marrakech and therefore, we recommend to take the 4 days extended tour whenever it is possible (Especially if you are travelling with young kids )

Itinerary:

Day 1: Marrakech - Ait Benhaddou - Dades Valley 346km

Your driver will pick you up at 08:00 am, and you will start 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to the Dades Gorges across the Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass, with far-reaching views across the mountains, to the traditional High Atlas Berber villages. Then you continue to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site and have lunch at one of the restaurants at the foothils of the Kasbahs, then we continue to Dades gorges through Skoura and rose valley, we will spend the night in a traditional kasbah in Dades gorges.

Day 2: Dades Gorges - Todra Gorge - Merzouga 271km

After breakfast, we will drive from Dades gorges to Erg chebbi Sahara desert at Merzouga. Berber villages are scattered along the way, we’ll pass through Todra Gorges, Tenhir, Tinjdad, Jorf and Erfoud in which we’ll feel the beginning of the Saharan oasis of Tafilalet, and then we continue to a Hotel in Merzouga, after relaxing a few minutes you will take some of you luggage in a small bag (just the necessary for the night in desert) and leave the other luggage in the hotel, then we will ride the camels on an adventure crossing the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, this is a great opportunity to take lovely pictures of the sunset and sunrise. When we reach the camp we will leave the camels and we will walk to the highest sand dunes for sandboarding and to watch the sunset, we will spend the night in a camp (Berber nomad tents) with drumming music in the middle of the Sahara.

Day 3: Merzouga – Agdez - Marrakech 561km

We will wake you up early in the morning to watch the sunrise on the dunes, then we will ride the camels back to Merzouga, after breakfast and having a shower in the Hotel, we will start our journey backing to Marrakech trough different areas and different Berber villages (Alnif, Tazarine, N’kob) until Ouarzazate where we will take the same road back to Marrakech and arrive in the evening.

Highlights:

Enjoy the beautiful landscapes between Marrakech and Merzouga

Take a short walks in Dades and Todra Gorges

Drive the Tizi n Tichka Pass of the High Atlas Mountains

Visit the UNESCO worlde heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou

Pass Ouarzazate and visit Film Studios and Taourirt Kasbah

Drive through the valley of 1000 Kasbahs

Cameld rides, overnight in Tents

Please Note:

It is 10 hours drive from Merzouga dunes to Marrakech. A 4 Day Desert Tours from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and back to Marrakech is recommended simply because there are so many things to see an do besides camel trekking and a night in the Sahara desert camp, 3 day tour option can NOT cover everything. Arriving early to Erg Chebbi, enjoy a swim, visit the nomad living in caves, wander with a local guide in palmary or hike in Dades valley or Todra gprges, spend more time of sites, stop for a cup of tea with a Berber family...Etc

What's included in Merzouga desert Tour:

Pick up and drop off at your hotel/airport

Comfortable trip in 4x4 air conditioned car or spacious minibus (depending on the number)

English/French/Spanish speaking driver

Dinner & breakfast are included

Maximal group size: 8 people to ensure more personalized attention from your guide

Cameld rides during sunset and in the morning

Overnight in a desert bivouac (private tents)

Wash up facilities and storage room for unneeded luggage are provided at the auberge in Merzouga

Overnight in a traditional Kasbah in Dades Gorge

Customized stops for pictures, coffee, restrooms

Guided walking visit of the fortified village Ait benhaddou

No forced shopping stops during the trip

Gratuities are optional and depend on your level of satisfaction

Extra costs to be expected:

You will pay for your lunch and drinks

Entrance fees during the optional visits to Ouarzazate attractions

Pick ups or drop offs outside Marrakech (more than 5km outside)

3-Days-Tour with individual and personal touch

My friend and I had a wonderful time with Said on the Tour. By the way he is an excellent driver and moved us through very bad weather conditions in the mountains - lots of rocks, mud and water were on the streets and it was difficult to find an way through. However, he did it perfectly. BTW it was fun and exciting! He also told us a lot interesting things and gave us the opportunity to decide which spot we want to visit.
Moreover, it with Marrakech Day Trips it was possible to book a individual pick up directly from the airport. That was really superb!
Of course, also the sightseeing spots were fantastic.
We really love to recommend Sahid and these guys!

~ Eva

Amazing experience

I have chosen Marrakech Day Trips to be our guide in the 3 day trip from Marrakech to Merzouga, based on the unanimously great reviews shared by previous tourists, which proved to be truthful.
We met all our expectations and beyond.
The most important aspect to highlight is the feeling of safety and comfort we had all along the trip, thanks to our good driver, Ismail. He also made the long hours of drive more pleasant by having a great music playlist and by sharing with us his passion for Berber history and Moroccon sociology.
Thank you again for looking after us, Ismail!
Nevertheless, this trip revealed to us the beautiful and authentic Morocco, which totally worth to be explored, even in more days if you have this options.

~ Oana

3 Day Tour: South of Morocco

We had the pleasure to do a three day tour to Tizi-n-Tichka, Draa Valley, Roses Valley, Ourzazate, Dades George, Todra George, Ait Ben Haddou and Merzouga.
The tour was fantastic: The landscape is so diverse and stunningly beautiful, the visits to Berber Towns highly interesting, and the desert trip with camels to stay a night at a camp absolutely amazing. The pictures shown on the website are really authentic. Even more important: People in Morocco are great hosts, we experienced their great hospitality wherever we went.
But above all: We had Idir, a perfect guide, who really made the tour unique. His knowledge about the history of the country, the people and the culture made the tour unique. He knew every little corner of the country, had stories about everything and made experiencing Morocco really easy. Last but not least: Idir is an excellent driver, which proved to be important especially on day three, where there is a very long trip back from Merzouga to Marrakesh. Thanks Idir, once again!

~ Jacob

Amazing 3-day trip with excellent driver

We really enjoyed our 3-day trip to Merzouga with our driver Hakim who is an excellent driver (we had snow on the way back and our 4wd was in good hands!) and English speaker and we never felt unsafe with him.
Hakim picked us up at our riad, perfectly on time and kindly helped us with our bags.
He was very considerate and always asked us if we wanted to stop for pictures/restrooms/shopping which was much appreciated. He always took the time to answer our questions and even took us to a museum that wasn't part of the trip since we had extra time.
We spent 3 amazing days and definitely recommend Marrakech day Trips if you expect professionalism, punctuality and fun!

~ Karine

An Exciting tour with the best driver

Me and my girlfriend booked a 3 Day / two nights private tour from Marrakesh to Merzouga. We booked the tour only 12h in advance and it was very easy to book. Our hotel called them and the trip was confirmed within minutes.
Our driver Ibrahim was excellent: He was easy going and fun to be around but still very professional, on time and a safe driver. The price was fair, as it was a price with no hidden costs e.g. no forced shopping.
The Erg Chebbi was an incredible experience that was really the highlight of our trip to Morocco. The other sites we have visited during these 3 days were also really nice and some of the biggest highlights in the country. Just don't forget that the desert is quite far away from Marrakesh but it is all worth it if you have never been to an actual sand desert.
Thanks again to Ibrahim, it was such a great time.

~ Johannes

Unique and Memorable Desert Experience

My girlfriend and I had a great time on our three days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga including a private driver with stops on the way. Our driver Aziz greeted us right on time in the lobby of our Riad and took us on a very scenic and safe drive to famous morrocan sites. Aziz was a lovely, knowledgeable and easy going person. Everything was so perfectly planned! You do not need to worry about anything! A highly recommended company.

~ Hinamar

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Marrakech Day Trips

Marrakech Day Trips is your best companion in Morocco, specialized in the organization of one day trips from Marrakech and multiple days tours to the Moroccan desert attractions.